Double Crossbow (Daryl Dixon) [The Walking Dead]

Chapter 27 ↣ What promise?

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."

- Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

↣ ↢

Kathryn

"FUCK YOU! YOU diseased bastards!" I yelled, drawing the walkers from where they were lurking within the trees. I felt my lip curl as I lunged and tackled the nearest walker to the ground. My knife sunk into the rotting bone with ease. I turned just as another walker went for me. It fell on top of me, snapping its teeth and growling. In my attempts to shove it off of me, my knife sliced its stomach, causing its lovely guts to splatter all over me. Trying to ignore the feeling of the sticky liquid, I quickly flipped the walker over and brought my arms up, knife in hand, before slamming the blade right in the center of its skull.

I took a few deep breaths, but didn't have time to rest as another walker was approaching me. I stepped away from the dead walker, and sat in a crouch like an animal would as they awaited their prey. I was a hunter after all. My eyes followed the walker as it walked right past me. I looked down to my gut splattered shirt, and it became clear.

I slowly rose to my feet as the walker traveled farther away from me. My legs trembled as the adrenaline began to leave my body. I knew that wasn't the only reason though.

I forced myself to walk around; I began to pace. I had lost Andrea in the smoke and chaos. The only thing I could do was hope that getting that walker off her was enough for her to get up and run. Where was everyone else though? If they were going to meet up somewhere, it'd probably be at the highway.

Why don't you just go?

What?

Just leave, Darling. This is your chance.

I looked away from the direction of the highway. What awaited me there? Solitude until I bit the bullet?

That's where you belong, or have you forgotten your time in solitude?

A shudder ran down my spine.

Ah, I see you haven't forgotten, Kat. Tell me, does it still haunt you when things get a bit...stuffy?

"Shut up!" I yelled aloud. "You're dead—" I started walking towards the highway. "—and I have another promise to keep."

↣ ↢

By the time I had reached the highway, the sun was up. Walking up to the car where we had left supplies for Sophia, I didn't see anyone there. I did, however, see a bolt sticking out of a walker's head. A smile pulled at the corners of my lips when I saw the white and green fletching. He was here. He was alive. I shook my head. Of course he was, and the others would be too.

I ripped the bolt from the walker's head and placed it in my quiver. He'd want that back. Looking around some more, I saw that there were multiple tires tracks through the mud leading to the Eastbound side of the highway.

All right then, I'll head East.

Daryl

The tension over the group was suffocating, and that shit normally didn't bother me. I was anxious to look for her. With my mind made up, I walked up to Rick who still looked troubled.

"Rick," I said, approaching him like a deer that might get spooked.

He looked over at me and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Uh, yeah?"